TASTE OF THE HOLIDAYS: Send us your favorite recipes

Monday

Dec 6, 2010 at 12:01 AMDec 6, 2010 at 6:20 AM

‘Tis the season for celebrating with family, friends and FOOD. Everyone has a holiday favorite they look forward to serving up each year, and we’re asking you to share some of those treasured family recipes — appetizers, entrees and desserts — with us. From turkey dinner to homemade holiday cakes and cookies, we know you have all the ingredients for a delicious holiday season. Let us know why the recipe is your favorite and then let us know how to make it.

E-mail your recipes, cooking instructions and photos, if you have them to acoyle@cnc.com. We’ll post all the holiday recipes to your Wicked Local website and publish them in your weekly community newspaper in December. We’ll take your holiday recipe submissions through Dec. 18.

We know you're busy this time of year, so here are some recipes offered by local town officials and our staff to whet your appetites and inspire you to share your own!

Alice Coyle

‘Tis the season for celebrating with family, friends and FOOD.

Everyone has a holiday favorite they look forward to serving up each year, and we’re asking you to share some of those treasured family recipes — appetizers, entrees and desserts — with us.

From turkey dinner to homemade holiday cakes and cookies, we know you have all the ingredients for a delicious holiday season.Let us know why the recipe is your favorite and then let us know how to make it.

E-mail your recipes, cooking instructions and photos, if you have them to acoyle@cnc.com. We’ll post all the holiday recipes to your Wicked Local website and publish them in your weekly community newspaper in December.

We’ll take your holiday recipe submissions through Dec. 18. We know you're busy this time of year, so here are some recipes offered by local town officials and our staff to whet your appetites and inspire you to share your own!

Put a dab of preserves in center of each square and fold 2 corners in to make a diamond shape.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. (Some jelly will ooze out.)

After cookies have cooled sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes approximately 18 cookies.

Pumpkin Squares

From Mansfield DPW Office Manager Betty Amicone

4 eggs

1-2/3 cups sugar

1 (16oz) can of pumpkin

1 cup cooking oil

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

Mix together all ingredients. Spread in a 15-by-10-by-1 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick margarine

1 box powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and spread over cooled pumpkin cake. Cut into squares.

Merry Meatballs

From Harry Chase, who writes a historical column called “This Old Town” for the Mansfield News. Chase says his wife serves Merry Meatballs every Christmas as a side dish to turkey.

One package of frozen plain meatballs

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs

1/3 cup ketchup

1 cup dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons grated onion

Piquant cranberry sauce:

1 1-pound can jellied cranberry sauce

1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce

2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat all ingredients for sauce in a large saucepan for 5 minutes. Add cooked meatballs to saucepan and continue heating over medium heat for 15 minutes. Transfer to chafing dish, if desired. Serve with toothpicks.

Savory string bean and plum tomato salad

From Bridgewater Independent reporter Rebecca Hyman. This zesty salad is perfect for the holidays and year-round.

1-½ pounds of string beans, ends trimmed

6 plum tomatoes, cut in eight wedges lengthwise each

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Steam string beans and set aside to cool.

2. Wisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Add the cooled string beans and tomato wedges. Stir to coat the vegetables with the dressing.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of pie plate with cranberries and sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. Using a mixer, beat egg in bowl until thick. Gradually mix in sugar until blended. Gradually mix in flour, melted butter and vanilla extract.
Pour batter over cranberries and nuts in pie plate and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.